Al-Alimi Urges Stringent Action Against Houthis in Meeting with Cameron

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, received on Wednesday in Riyadh UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron. (SABA)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, received on Wednesday in Riyadh UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron. (SABA)
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Al-Alimi Urges Stringent Action Against Houthis in Meeting with Cameron

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, received on Wednesday in Riyadh UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron. (SABA)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, received on Wednesday in Riyadh UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron. (SABA)

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Rashad al-Alimi called for increased punitive measures against the Houthis during a meeting on Wednesday with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron in Riyadh.
Al-Alimi emphasized the importance of implementing international resolutions, backing the legitimate government, and curbing the flow of Iranian arms to the insurgent group.
Cameron’s visit comes in the wake of heightened tension in the Red Sea due to escalating Houthi attacks on shipping vessels.
Al-Alimi briefed the UK Foreign Secretary on the latest Yemeni developments, highlighting the UN-led peace endeavors based on Saudi Arabia's efforts despite ongoing obstacles posed by the Houthi militias.
The President disclosed the reasons behind the Houthi militia's attacks on international shipping lanes, their significant impact on the commodity supply chain, and the deteriorating living conditions of the Yemeni people, according to the Yemen News Agency (SABA).
Al-Alimi underscored the risks associated with the continuous flow of Iranian weapons and smuggled funds to the Houthi militias.
He stressed the need for a more stringent international approach, including strict implementation of relevant international resolutions, particularly Resolution 2216.
The President reiterated that implementing international resolutions and supporting the UN-recognized legitimate government are crucial for securing international shipping lanes and reclaiming port cities exploited by terrorist militias to threaten maritime security and global peace.
According to Yemeni media, the UK Foreign Secretary affirmed the UK's commitment to supporting the efforts of the Presidential Leadership Council and the government in restoring state institutions.
Cameron pledged to continue the UK's humanitarian and developmental interventions across all levels.



Yemen's Houthis Shoot Down What Witnesses Say Was a US Drone, American Military Investigates

Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
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Yemen's Houthis Shoot Down What Witnesses Say Was a US Drone, American Military Investigates

Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)

Yemen's Houthi militants shot down what bystanders described as an American drone early Friday, potentially the latest downing of a US spy drone as the militants continue their attacks on the Red Sea corridor.
The US military acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to be a flaming aircraft dropping out of the sky and a field of burning debris in what those off-camera described as an area of Yemen's al-Jawf province. The military said it was investigating the incident, declining to elaborate further.
It wasn't immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down in the low-quality night video, The Associated Press said.
The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles capable of downing aircraft such as the Iranian missile known as the 358. Iran denies arming the group, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthis despite a United Nations arms embargo.
The Houthis have been a key component of Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance" during the Mideast wars that includes Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for downing the aircraft. However, it can take their fighters hours or even days after an incident before they acknowledge it.
Since the Houthis seized the country’s north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the militants have shot down MQ-9 Reaper drones in Yemen in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The US military has declined to offer a total figure for the number of drones it has lost during that time.
Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The aircraft have been flown by both the US military and the CIA over Yemen for years.
The Houthis have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.
The militants maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. The tempo of the Houthi sea attacks also has waxed and waned over the months.
In October, the US military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by the Houthis.